So after making a "Red Dawn" comment earlier, it got me to thinking about movies. Not so much the "sucks ass but the cult crowd likes it" hits like the above, but the real movies certain people have never seen. Like a certain family member of mine who couldn't tell you a thing about the Godfather movies because she's never seen them. Or my neighbor who couldn't name any Gone With the Wind characters beside Scarlett because she'd never seen that gem of cinema history. Seriously, do you not own a tv? Or maybe you've been living in a cave in the Himalayas and didn't realize Blockbuster had gone global. I just think it's a rite of passage to watch some movies once before you die, even if you think they suck. Here's a list of some of the movies that I think everyone should watch at least once:
1. Gone With the Wind- it's a classic people. Get over the racial "they have slaves" aspect and recognize it for what it is- a masterpiece.
2. Casablanca- yes, I know it's in black and white. Some of the best are. Bogey didn't need color to deliver some of the most awesome lines in movie history and Ingred Bergman was a classic female lead.
3. Star Wars trilogy- not the craptastic new ones with Hayden "I can't act my way out of a ziploc baggy" Christenson, but the real trilogy. I recognize there's a cheesy factor at times, but it's just a good set of movies to watch. And who doesn't want to get a little Harrison Ford on the screen!
4. Ben-Hur- while I'm not a religious person, I can recognize a great movie when I see one. Charlton Heston is an icon and who doesn't secretly rewind and rewatch the scene where the guy gets trampled by the chariot...
5. Wizard of Oz- it doens't need an explanation. Just watch it. Sing Over the Rainbow. And admit it- you'll cackle with the witch when she starts her evil laugh.
6. The Sound of Music- belt out those tunes, spin your arms from your imaginary hilltop and watch it over and over again. And show your kids what a great musical can sound like.
7. Stagecoach- what, a western? Yep. It's got John Wayne in it, the man who was basically the Chuck Norris of his day. He kicked ass, took names, and nobody messed with him. Plus, I think it's a really good movie.
8. Tron- yes, it's sort of like watching a movie full of those plastic necklaces you bend so the glow-in-the-dark fluid will rush through them. But it's not a bad film and it's a CGI miracle for its day.
9. It's a Wonderful Life- warning: I'm going to blaspheme here. I can't stand this movie one bit. Not even a little. I avoid it like nobody's business when it comes on 1.852 million times during the holiday season. Having said that, it's a Christmas classic and the majority of the population of the planet will stop everything they are doing. So, watch it and see if you like it.
10. The Breakfast Club- I was born in 1976; of course I was going to add in a classic example of 80's movie history. I could have put Sixteen Candles or St. Elmo's Fire, but I think TBC might be the best out of the group. It was a look at what teens were going through in the 80's. Plus, I think everyone thought Judd Nelson was hot back then and who's going to channel surf past a Molly Ringwald movie on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Beyond this, I'd say to consult the AFI list of movies. It's got a pretty good selection of movies, most of which people of my age have never seen because they've got no nudity, exploding cars, or uber-sexy hunks in the spotlight!
2 comments:
OMG!!!!! Love love love love these movies!!!!!
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